Here’s a picture of an electric mandolin prototype I recently knocked together. The body is pine, with a curly maple veneer cap. The neck came off a cadaver instrument (this is, after all, a prototype). And the pickup is one that I wound, using a block magnet as its core. I’m pleased with the sound of it — it’s sweet and usable in a variety of styles.

I based the shape on an old Kay Kraft mandolin. It’s a shape I like, as it seems to come from the same aesthetic palette as the f-style, but is less ornate. It’s a classic, American mandolin shape that is less often seen and isn’t trying to be something else (like a scaled-down guitar).